Explore the Mariana Trench

The Mariana Trench is located in the Pacific Ocean, just east of the 14 Mariana Islands (11"21' North latitude and 142" 12' East longitude ) near Japan. As you probably already know, it is the deepest part of the earth's oceans, and the deepest location of the earth itself. It was created by ocean-to-ocean subduction, a phenomena in which a plate topped by oceanic crust is subducted beneath another plate topped by oceanic crust.

The deepest part of the Mariana Trench is the Challenger Deep, so named after the exploratory vessel HMS Challenger II; a fishing boat converted into a sea lab by Swiss scientist Jacques Piccard.

On this site, you will find information on the main characteristics of the Mariana Trench, its exploration, and its ecosystem.

The Biology section of the site covers the fish and various (organisms and microorganisms) of the deep, what makes these creatures unique, and the fascinating ways in which they live and survive.

The Oceanography section explores the data pertaining to the Mariana Trench and other deep sea formations.

The Exploration section relates some of the events pertaining to the first survey of the MT, and the history of deep sea exploration.

In closing we have added two supplemental sections so that you may continue your research into the fascinating world of the deep. Whether you are seeking answers to questions about the Mariana Trench, or are simply interested in Marine Biology, Oceanography, or related subjects, we hope our site will help you better understand the mysteries of the ocean floor.

Fact

You will notice that some of the pages on this site feature our fact finder, mainly a recap of the important points covered in the sections. In addition to this and the resources page, relevant links appear at the bottom of each page.